Comparison of Drought Tolerance of Maize,Sweet Sorghum and Sorghum‐Sudangrass Hybrids

In drought‐prone environments, sweet sorghum and sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids are considered worthy alternatives to maize for biogas production. The biomass productivity of the three crops was compared by growing them side‐by‐side in a rain‐out shelter under different levels of plant available soil water (PASW) during the growing periods of 2008 to 2010 at Braunschweig, Germany. All crops were established under high levels of soil water. Thereafter, the crops either remained at the wet level (60–80 % PASW) or were subjected to moderate (40–50 % PASW) and severe drought stress (15–25 % PASW). While the above‐ground dry weight (ADW) of sweet sorghum and maize was insignificantly different under well‐watered conditions, sweet sorghum under severe drought stress produced 27 % more ADW than maize. The ADW of sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids significantly lagged behind sweet sorghum at all levels of water supply. The three crops differed markedly in their susceptibility to water shortage. Severe drought stress reduced the ADW of maize by 51 %, but only by 37 % for sweet sorghum and 35 % for sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids. The post‐harvest root dry weight (RDW) in the 0–100 cm soil layer for maize, sweet sorghum and sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids averaged 4.4, 6.1 and 2.9 t ha^?1 under wet and 1.9, 5.7 and 2.4 t ha^?1 under severe drought stress. Under these most dry conditions, the sorghum crops had relatively higher RDW and root length density (RLD) in the deeper soil layers than maize. The subsoil RDW proportion (20–100 vs. 0–20 cm) for maize, sweet sorghum and sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids amounted to 6 %, 10 % and 20 %. The higher ADM of sweet sorghum compared with maize under dry conditions is most likely attributable to the deep root penetration and high proportion of roots in the subsoil, which confers the sorghum crop a high water uptake capacity.     

Brassinolide Application Improves the Drought Tolerance in Maize Through Modulation of Enzymatic Antioxidants and Leaf Gas Exchange

Brassinolides (BRs) are naturally occurring substances, which modulate plant growth and development events and have been known to improve the crop tolerance to abiotic stresses. In this study, possible role of exogenously applied brassinolide (BR) in alleviating the detrimental effects of drought in maize was evaluated in a rain‐protected wire‐house. Maize was subjected to drought at the start of tasseling for 6 days by withholding water application followed by foliar spray of BR (0.1 mg l^?1) to assess the changes in growth, gas exchange, chlorophyll contents, protein, relative leaf water contents (RLWC), proline, malonialdehyde (MDA) and enzymatic antioxidants. Drought substantially reduced the maize growth in terms of plant height, leaf area and plant biomass. Moreover, substantial decrease in gas exchange attributes (net photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (g_s), water use efficiency (WUE), instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi) and intercellular CO₂ (C_i) was also recorded. However, exogenous application of BR remarkably improved the gas exchange attributes, plant height, leaf area, cobs per plant, seedling dry weight both under drought and well‐watered conditions. BR‐induced promotion in growth and physiological and metabolic activities were mediated through increased protein synthesis enabling maintenance of tissue water potential and activities of antioxidant enzymes lowering the lipid peroxidation under drought.     

Radiation‐Use Efficiency,Biomass Production,and Grain Yield in Two Maize Hybrids Differing in Drought Tolerance

Drought‐tolerant (DT) maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids have potential to increase yield under drought conditions. However, little information is known about the physiological determinations of yield in DT hybrids. Our objective was to assess radiation‐use efficiency (RUE), biomass production, and yield in two hybrids differing in drought tolerance. Field experiments were conducted in 2013 and 2014 with two hybrids, P1151HR (DT hybrid) and 33D49 (conventional hybrid) under well‐watered (I₁₀₀) and drought (I₅₀) conditions. I₁₀₀ and I₅₀ refer to 100 % and 50 % evapotranspiration requirement, respectively. On average, P1151HR yielded 11–27 % greater than 33D49 at I₁₀₀ and about 40 % greater at I₅₀, At I₁₀₀, greater yield in P1151HR was due to greater biomass at physiological maturity (BM_pm) resulting from greater post‐silking biomass accumulation (BM_post). At I₅₀, both hybrids had similar BM_pm but P1151HR showed a higher harvest index and greater BM_post. RUE differed significantly (P < 0.05) between the hybrids at I₁₀₀, but not at I₅₀. At I₁₀₀, the RUE values for P1151HR and 33D49 were 4.87 and 4.28 g MJ^?1 in 2013, and 3.71 and 3.48 g MJ^?1 in 2014. At I₅₀, the mean RUE was 3.89 g MJ^?1 in 2013 and 3.16 g MJ^?1 in 2014. Results indicate that BM_post is important for maintaining high yield in DT maize.     

Hybrid performance of sorghum and its relationship to morphological and physiological traits under variable drought stress in Kenya

Sorghum, Sorghum bicolor L. Moench, is grown mostly in semi-arid climates where unpredictable drought stress constitutes a major production constraint. To investigate hybrid performance at different levels of drought stress, 12 single-cross hybrids of grain sorghum and their 24 parent lines were grown in eight site-season combinations in a semi-arid area of Kenya. In addition, a subset of 20 genotypes was evaluated at the seedling stage under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress. Environmental means for grain yield ranged from 47 to 584 g/m²reflecting the following situations: two non-stress, one moderate pre-flowering, four moderate terminal and one extreme drought stress. Mean hybrid superiority over mid-parent values was 54% for grain yield and 35% for above-ground biomass. Across environments, hybrids out-yielded two local varieties by 12%. Differences in yield potential contributed to grain yield differences in all stress environments. Early anthesis was most important for specific adaptation to extreme drought. Field performance was not related to growth reduction and osmotic adjustment under PEG-induced drought stress. In conclusion, exploitation of hybrid vigour could improve the productivity of sorghum in semi-arid areas.     

Relationship between Biomass Production and Nitrogen Fixation under Drought-Stress Conditions in Peanut Genotypes with Different Levels of Drought Resistance

The relationship between biomass production and N₂ fixation under drought‐stress conditions in peanut genotypes with different levels of drought resistance is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of drought on biomass production and N₂ fixation by evaluating the relative values of these two traits under well watered and water‐stress conditions. Twelve peanut genotypes were tested under field conditions in the dry seasons of 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 in north‐east Thailand. A split‐plot design with four replications was used. Main‐plot treatments were three water regimes [field capacity (FC), 2/3 available soil water (AW) and 1/3 AW], and sub‐plot treatments were 12 peanut lines. Data were recorded on biomass production and N₂ fixation under well watered and water‐stress conditions. Genotypic variations in biomass production and N₂ fixation were found at all water regimes. Biomass production and N₂ fixation decreased with increasing levels of drought stress. Genotypes did not significantly differ in reductions for biomass production, but did differ for reductions in N₂ fixation. High biomass production under both mild and severe drought‐stress conditions was due largely to high potential biomass production under well‐watered conditions and, to a lesser extent, the ability to maintain high biomass production under drought‐stress conditions. High N₂ fixation under drought stress also was due largely to high N₂ fixation under well‐watered conditions with significant but lower contributions from the ability to maintain high nitrogen fixation under drought stress. N₂ fixation at FC was not correlated with the reduction in N₂ fixation at 2/3 AW and 1/3 AW. Positive relationships between N₂ fixed and biomass production of the tested peanut genotypes were found at both levels of drought stress, and the relationship was stronger the more severe the drought stress. These results suggested that the ability to maintain high N₂ fixation under drought stress could aid peanut genotypes in maintaining high yield under water‐limited conditions.     

Genetic Analysis of Grain Yield and Other Traits of Early‐Maturing Maize Inbreds under Drought and Well‐Watered Conditions

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important staple food crop in West and Central Africa (WCA). However, its production is constrained by drought. Knowledge and understanding of the genetics of hybrid performance under drought is invaluable in designing breeding strategies for improving maize yield. One hundred and fifty hybrids obtained by crossing 30 inbreds in sets using the North Carolina Design II plus six checks were evaluated under drought and well‐watered conditions for 2 years at three locations in Nigeria. The objectives of the studies were to (i) determine the mode of gene action controlling grain yield and other important agronomic traits of selected early inbred lines, (ii) examine the relationship between per se performance of inbreds and their hybrids and (iii) identify appropriate testers for maize breeding programmes in WCA. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) mean squares were significant (P < 0.01) for grain yield and other traits under the research environments. The GCA accounted for 64.5 % and 62.3 % of the total variation for grain yield under drought and well‐watered conditions, indicating that additive gene action largely controlled the inheritance of grain yield of the hybrids. Narrow‐sense heritability was 67 % for grain yield under drought and 49 % under well‐watered conditions. The correlations between traits of early‐maturing parental lines and their hybrids were significant (P < 0.01) under drought, well‐watered and across environments. Mid‐parent and better‐parent heterosis for grain yield were 45.3 % and 18.4 % under drought stress and 111.9 % and 102.6 % under well‐watered conditions. Inbreds TZEI 31, TZEI 17, TZEI 129 and TZEI 157 were identified as the best testers. Drought‐tolerant hybrids with superior performance under stress and non‐stress conditions could be obtained through the accumulation of favourable alleles for drought tolerance in both parental lines.     

Fulvic Acid Application Improves the Maize Performance under Well‐watered and Drought Conditions

Water deficit is perhaps the most severe threat to sustainable crop production in the conditions of changing climate. Researchers are striving hard to develop resistance against water deficit in crop plants to ensure food security for the coming generations. This study was conducted to establish the role of fulvic acid (FA) application in improving the performance of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) under drought. Maize plants were grown under normal conditions till tasselling and were then subjected to drought by cessation of water followed by foliar application of FA (1.5 mg l^?1). Drought stress disrupted the photosynthetic pigments and reduced the gas exchange leading to reduction in plant growth and productivity. Nonetheless, exogenous FA application substantially ameliorated the adversities of drought by sustaining the chlorophyll contents and gas exchange possibly by enhanced levels of antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT)) activities and proline. These beneficial effects yielded in terms of plant growth and allometry, and grain yield. It is interesting to note that FA application also improved the crop performance under well‐watered conditions. Hence, FA may be applied to improve the crop performance under drought and well‐watered conditions.     

DROUGHT STRESS: Comparative Time Course Action of the Foliar Applied Glycinebetaine,Salicylic Acid,Nitrous Oxide,Brassinosteroids and Spermine in Improving Drought Resistance of Rice

Worldwide rice productivity is being threatened by increased endeavours of drought stress. Among the visible symptoms of drought stress, hampered water relations and disrupted cellular membrane functions are the most important. Exogenous use of polyamines (PAs), salicylic acid (SA), brassinosteroids (BRs), glycinebetaine (GB) and nitrous oxide (NO) can induce abiotic stresses tolerance in many crops. In this time course study, we appraised the comparative role of all these substances to improve the drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar Super‐Basmati. Plants were subjected to drought stress at four leaf stage (4 weeks after emergence) by maintaining soil moisture at 50 % of field capacity. Pre‐optimized concentrations of GB (150 mg l^?1), SA (100 mg l^?1), NO (100 μmol l^?1 sodium nitroprusside as NO donor), BR (0.01 μm 24‐epibrassinolide) and spermine (Spm; 10 μm ) were foliar sprayed at five‐leaf stage (5 weeks after emergence). There were two controls both receiving no foliar spray, viz. well watered (CK1) and drought stressed (CK2). There was substantial reduction in allometric response of rice, gas exchange and water relation attributes by drought stress. While drought stress enhanced the H₂O₂, malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative membrane permeability, foliar spray of all the chemicals improved growth possibly because of the improved carbon assimilation, enhanced synthesis of metabolites and maintenance of tissue water status. Simultaneous reduction in H₂O₂ and MDA production was also noted in the plants treated with these substances. Drought tolerance was sturdily associated with the greater tissue water potential, increased synthesis of metabolites and enhanced capacity of antioxidant system. Of all the chemicals, foliar spray with Spm was the most effective followed by BR.     

Is Discrimination of 13C in Potato Leaflets and Tubers an Appropriate Trait to Describe Genotype Responses to Restrictive and Well‐Watered Conditions?

Selection for drought tolerance entails prioritizing plant traits that integrate critical physiological processes occurring during crop growth. Discrimination against ¹³C (?) in leaflets (?_leaflet) and tubers (?_tuber) was compared under two water regimes in two potato‐improved varieties selected to maintain yield under drought conditions (Unica and Sarnav) and one drought susceptible European cultivar (Désirée). In the control treatment, soil water content was kept at field capacity over the whole growth cycle, while in the drought treatment water supply was restricted after tuber initiation (50 % of field capacity). Gas exchange and N content per unit leaf area (N_area) as well as ? were assessed at different stages. Sarnav showed the highest tuber yield in both water conditions, suggesting that yield in the water restriction treatment was largely driven by yield potential in this genotype. Higher stomatal conductance (g_s) and N_area and lower ?_leaflet in well‐watered Sarnav suggested higher photosynthetic capacity. Under water restriction, Sarnav maintained higher g_s indicating that carbon diffusion was a key factor for biomass accumulation under water restriction. Our results suggest the use of ? determined after tuber initiation as an indirect selection indicator for tuber yield under both well‐watered and restricted soil water availability conditions.     

Kernel δ18O reflects changes in apical dominance and plant transpiration in tropical maize

Modification of source–sink ratios in tropical maize through detasseling is an ancestral agronomical practice used for increasing yields under stressful conditions. However, the mechanisms behind such effect are not well understood given the difficulties to determine physiological processes such as photosynthesis and whole‐plant transpiration in the field. We have tested the potential ability of kernel δ ¹⁸O to assess differences in grain yield (GY ) through changes in plant transpiration caused by the modification of water availability and source–sink modification treatments, (including removal of the tassel and different numbers of leaves) in three tropical maize hybrids differing in drought tolerance. Drought‐tolerant genotypes displayed higher yields and lower kernel δ ¹⁸O values than the drought‐susceptible genotype under both well‐watered (WW ) and water‐stressed (WS ) conditions. Detasseling caused a positive increase in GY under well‐watered (up to 8%) and water‐deficit conditions (up to 36%). Reduction in leaf area (source) through defoliation treatments caused a large impact on GY showing a trade‐off between maintaining a photosynthetic versus transpiring leaf area. Thus, while a reasonable reduction in leaf area significantly improved plant water availability (as shown by lower kernel δ ¹⁸O values) and consequently GY under water deficit (up to 40%), it caused a maximum reduction of 25% in GY under well‐watered conditions. Variations in GY were significantly (p  <  .05) correlated with changes in δ ¹⁸O under both well‐watered (r  =  ?.67) and WS conditions (r  =  .75 and .82). Our results also reinforce the utility of δ ¹⁸O measured in mature kernels as a powerful ecophysiological tool for assessing genotypic differences in apical dominance, transpiration and yield under both WW and WS conditions in tropical maize.     

Root Distribution of Drought-Resistant Peanut Genotypes in Response to Drought

The ability of a plant to modify its root distribution to exploit deeper stored soil water may be an important mechanism to avoid drought. This study aimed at assessing root distributions, variations in root length density (RLD) and percentage of root distribution, and the relevance of root traits for yield of drought‐resistant peanut genotypes under different available soil water levels. The experiment was conducted in the dry season during the years 2003/04 and 2004/05. Eleven peanut genotypes (ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305, ICGV 98308, ICGV 98324, ICGV 98330, ICGV 98348, ICGV 98353, Tainan 9, KK 60‐3 and Tifton‐8) and three soil moisture levels [field capacity (FC), 2/3 available soil water (AW) and 1/3 AW] were laid out in a split‐plot design with four replications. Roots were sampled by a core sampler at 37, 67 and 97 days after sowing (DAS). Root length was determined by a scanner and the WINRHIZO Pro 2004a software. RLD was calculated as the ratio of root length (cm) and soil volume (cm³). Graphical illustration of root distribution was constructed by merging RLD in the first and second soil layers (0–40 cm) as upper roots and pooling RLD at the third, fourth and fifth layers (40–100 cm) as lower roots. Pod yield, biomass and harvest index (HI) were recorded at harvest. A drought tolerance index (DTI) was calculated for each parameter as the ratio of the parameter under stress treatment to that under well‐watered conditions. Variations in RLD in 40 to 100 cm layer (RLD_{40 to 100 cm}) were found under well‐watered conditions, and the peanut genotypes could be readily identified as high, intermediate and low for this trait. Changes in RLD in the 40 to 100 cm soil layer were found at 2/3 AW and were more evident at 1/3 AW. ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305, ICGV 98308 and KK 60‐3 were classified as drought responsive as they increased RLD in the deeper subsoil level in response to drought. In general, RLD under drought conditions was not related to biomass production. The ability to maintain the percentage of RLD (DTI for %RLD) was related to pod yield, DTI for pod yield and DTI for HI. ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305 exhibited high DTI (RLD_{40 to 100 cm}) which may explain their high pod yield, DTI (PY) and DTI (HI). Based on these observations we classified them as drought‐avoiding genotypes.     

Water Use Efficiency, Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Biomass Production of Two Sugar Beet Varieties Under Well-Watered and Dry Conditions

Two sugar beet (Beta vulgaris sp.) varieties, which were supposed to differ in drought tolerance, were exposed to drought stress in a growth chamber and a container experiment in field. The aim was to test for (i) differences between the varieties in water use efficiency (WUE), biomass production and distribution and (ii) the relationship between WUE and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), and between biomass production and Δ. Significant differences in WUE were detected between plants of well‐watered and drought treatments in both experiments, but not between the varieties. Production losses due to drought were large for both varieties in both experiments. Losses in the growth chamber were up to 50 % of plant dry weight and the corresponding value in the field was 24 %, when plants were given 60 and 30 %, respectively, of the full‐watered treatments. Significant negative correlations between WUE and Δ were found, but not between biomass production and Δ, when both varieties were included. Negative correlations between WUE and Δ were also found for each variety separately. The results suggest that Δ estimates from leaf tissue of sugar beet may provide a useful tool for genetic selection of drought‐tolerant sugar beet varieties.     

Genotypic Variation for Tolerance to Transient Drought During the Reproductive Phase of Brassica rapa

Brassica rapa L. is a genetically diverse parent species of the allotetraploid species, oilseed rape (B. napus) and a potential source of drought tolerance for B. napus. We examined the effect of a 13‐day drought stress period during the early reproductive phase, relative to a well‐watered (WW) control, on subsequent growth and development in nine accessions of B. rapa and one accession of Brassica juncea selected for their wide morphological and genetic diversity. We measured leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, water use, and leaf and bud temperatures during the stress period and aboveground dry weight of total biomass at maturity. Dry weight of seeds and reproductive tissue were not useful measures of drought tolerance due to self‐incompatibility in B. rapa. The relative total biomass (used as the measure of drought tolerance in this study) of the 10 accessions exposed to drought stress ranged from 47 % to 117 % of the WW treatment and was negatively correlated with leaf‐to‐air and bud‐to‐air temperature difference when averaged across the 13‐day stress period. Two wild‐type (B. rapa ssp. sylvestris) accessions had higher relative total and non‐reproductive biomass at maturity and cooler leaves and buds than other types. We conclude that considerable genotypic variation for drought tolerance exists in B. rapa and cooler leaves and buds during a transient drought stress in the early reproductive phase may be a useful screening tool for drought tolerance.     

Yield Performance of Wheat Isolines with Different Dosages of the Short Arm of Rye Chromosome 1

Translocations of the short arm of rye (Secale cereale L.) chromosome 1 (1RS) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Pavon 76) are known to increase root biomass. Such an increase enhances water and nutrient uptake and may improve grain yield. Two greenhouse experiments and a field experiment were carried out at the University of California, Riverside, in 2012 and 2013 under well‐watered and terminal drought treatments to evaluate phenotypic characters associated with varying dosages of 1RS, including grain yield. The genotypes used were cultivar Pavon 76 (R₀), Pavon 76/Pavon1RS.1AL (F₁ hybrid) with a single dosage of 1RS (R₁A), Pavon 1RS.1AL with two dosages of 1RS (R₂A), Pavon 1RS.1DL (R₂D) also with two dosages of 1RS and Pavon 1RS.1AL‐1RS.1DL (R₄AD) with four dosages of 1RS. There was a significant positive correlation between number of dosages of 1RS and root biomass. However, no correlation was found between root biomass and grain yield per plant. Drought in the field experiment reduced grain yield significantly. Under well‐watered field conditions, grain yield of R₂A (215.9 g plant^?1) was significantly greater than those of R₂D (191.8 g plant^?1) and R₄AD (161.7 g plant^?1). Also, grain yield of R₄AD was significantly less than those of F₁, Pavon 76 and R₂D under well‐watered conditions. Under drought field conditions, no significant differences were found among the genotypes for grain yield was found between F₁ (14.7 g plant^?1) and R₄AD (12.4 g plant^?1). Harvest index was significantly greater in well‐watered (44.2 %) than in drought (34.6 %) field conditions. On average, genotypes F₁ (42.3 %) and R₂A (40.6 %) had higher harvest index than R₂D (38.3 %) and R₄AD (35.5 %) in the field. Also, Pavon 76 (40.2) and R₂D (38.3) had higher harvest index than R₄AD. Drought tolerance was lowest for R₄AD due to its relatively lower grain yield potential. In general, Pavon 1RS.1AL carrying two dosages of 1RS showed higher grain yield under wet treatments. Pavon 1RS.1AL‐1RS.1DL carrying four dosages of 1RS produced the largest shoot and root biomasses, but the least grain yield.     

Comparative Drought Response in Eleven Diverse Alfalfa Accessions

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production is negatively affected by drought stress. This is particularly true for alfalfa grown on non‐irrigated rangelands. Thus, the development of drought‐tolerant alfalfa cultivars is of great significance. A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate 11 alfalfa accessions including several that are adapted to rangeland conditions and two commercial accessions, for their performance under drought condition. Water supply was adjusted based on the transpiration rate of individual plants to compensate for 100, 75, 50 or 25 % of transpirational water loss. We found that RS, a naturalized alfalfa collected from the Grand River National Grassland in South Dakota, showed the best resistance to drought condition. It showed the smallest reduction in stem elongation (36 %), relative growth rate (14 %), and shoot dry mass (40 %) production under the severest drought tested in this study relative to the non‐drought treatment. While RS showed less biomass production under well‐watered conditions, it produced similar or more shoot biomass under drought conditions compared to other accessions. Associated with the drought resistance or less sensitivity to drought, RS showed greater capability to maintain root growth, shoot relative water content, and leaf chlorophyll content compared to other accessions. Different from other accessions, RS showed increasing water use efficiency (WUE) as water deficit became severe, reaching the greatest WUE among 11 accessions. Our results suggest that RS is a valuable genetic resource that can be used to elucidate physiological and molecular mechanisms that determine drought resistance in alfalfa and to develop alfalfa with improved WUE.     

Effects of Soil Moisture on Gas Exchange, Partitioning of Fed 14CO2 and Stable Carbon Isotope Composition (δ13C) of Leymus chinensis Under Two Different Diurnal Temperature Variations

In a pot experiment under controlled condition, Leymus chinensis was grown at five soil water contents and two diurnal temperature variation levels. The leaf relative water content of L. chinensis decreased under soil drought conditions, and increased at high diurnal temperature variation (30/20 °C). Severe and very severe soil drought remarkably reduced photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and water use efficiency (WUE), especially at the low temperature variation. Severe drought mainly increased the specific radioactivity of ¹⁴C of sheaths, roots and rhizomes, but significantly decreased that of fed leaves and the not fully expanded leaves. Root percentage of total radioactivity remaining in the whole plant increased from 15 % at 30/25 °C to 28 % at 30/20 °C. Leaf carbon stable isotope composition (δ¹³C) increased with soil drought, ranged from ?26 ‰ of the well‐watered to ?24 ‰ of severe drought treatments. High diurnal temperature variation improved leaf water status, and increased partitioning of carbon to root and δ¹³C values, especially under severe soil drought conditions. In conclusion, higher diurnal temperature variation enhanced the resistance of the plant to drought.     

Thermal phenotyping of stomatal sensitivity in spring barley

Thermometry and thermography are alternative methods used for measuring stomatal conductivity via transpirative cooling. However, the influence of mixed soil–plant information contained in thermal images compared to thermometric spot measurements on the measurement quality and relationships to agronomic traits remains unclear. To evaluate their respective influence, canopy temperature was measured simultaneously by two infrared thermometers (thermometry), which were oriented oblique to the plant canopy and mounted on a tractor, and a hand‐held, nadir oriented thermal camera (thermography) in irrigated and drought‐stressed spring barley cultivar trials in 2011. Canopy temperatures were separated from soil temperatures and extracted from the thermal images by matching thermal and RGB images. Thermometric measurements conducted at the beginning of shooting during a stable period of high radiation were more closely related to total plant biomass and straw yield at harvest than thermography under both irrigated and drought‐stressed conditions. Taking into account the results of this evaluation, thermometry was used for assessing the agronomic importance of stomatal sensitivity, the earliness of stomatal closure, of spring barley cultivars subjected to different water supply in 2013. In this year, 16 spring barley cultivars were grown under mild drought stress and rainfed conditions. A stomatal sensitivity index was derived relating canopy temperatures of the cultivars grown under rainfed and drought‐stressed conditions to each other. Under rainfed conditions, stomatal sensitivity was negatively related to grain protein yield with a coefficient of determination of R² = .43. Under increasing terminal drought stress, positive regression slopes of stomatal sensitivity to grain yield, biomass yield and culms/m² were observed with coefficients of determination amounting to R² = .22, .31 and .36, respectively. Stomatal sensitivity negatively impacts agricultural production under well‐watered conditions, but maintains productivity under conditions of terminal drought.     

Spatial difference of drought effect on photosynthesis of leaf subtending to cotton boll and its relationship with boll biomass

The leaf subtending to a cotton boll (LSCB) is vital to boll development and biomass, but few studies have examined the effects of drought on the source capacity of LSCBs on different fruiting branches (FBs). To investigate the response of LSCB photosynthesis on different FBs and the relationship of boll biomass to drought, a drought experiment was performed with three treatments: well‐watered (WW, soil water relative content [SRWC] 75 ± 5%), mild drought (MD, SRWC 60 ± 5%), and severe drought (SD, SRWC 45 ± 5%). Despite photosynthetic active radiation increasing under drought conditions, the pre‐dawn leaf water potential, net photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), and maximum quantum yield in PSII (Fv/Fm) under MD and SD significantly decreased when compared with WW, with a more pronounced decrease observed on upper FBs. Additionally, the maximum sucrose and hexose levels in LSCBs increased under drought conditions, whereas the maximum starch content decreased on FB_10–11, but showed a varied trend on FB_2–3 and FB_6–7. Although carbohydrate levels in the LSCBs increased, biomass per cotton boll decreased. More importantly, the ratio of cotton boll biomass was significantly correlated to the maximum sucrose content ratio on each FB, indicating that sucrose allocation was important to cotton boll biomass. Cotton boll biomass notably decreased on upper FBs, but was maintained on lower FBs, indicating that drought promoted carbon allocation in older bolls. Thus, LSCBs and cotton bolls on upper FBs were more affected under drought conditions due to decreased photosynthesis and carbohydrate allocation.     

Evaluating the role of seed priming in improving drought tolerance of pigmented and non‐pigmented rice

This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of seed priming on drought tolerance of pigmented and non‐pigmented rice. Seeds of pigmented (cv. Heug Jinju Byeo) and non‐pigmented (cv. Anjoong) rice were soaked in water (hydropriming) or solution of CaCl₂ (osmopriming). Seeds were sown in soil‐filled pots retained at 70 (well‐watered) and 35% (drought) water‐holding capacity. Drought stress caused erratic and poor stand establishment and decreased the growth of both rice types. More decrease in plant height and leaf area under drought stress was noted in pigmented rice, whereas decrease in root length and seedling dry weight, under drought, was more obvious in non‐pigmented rice. Pigmented rice maintained more tissue water and photosynthesis and had more polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity than non‐pigmented rice. Seed priming was effective in improving stand establishment, growth, polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity; however, extent of improvement was more in pigmented rice under drought. In conclusion, drought caused erratic germination and suppressed plant growth in both rice types. However, pigmented rice had better drought tolerance owing to uniform emergence, and better physiological and morphological plasticity. Seed priming was quite helpful in improving the performance of both rice types under drought and well‐watered conditions.     

Combined Effect of Drought Stress and Elevated Atmospheric CO2 Concentration on the Yield Parameters and Water Use Properties of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes

The decline in the amount of water available to plants will lend growing importance to the dynamics of water uptake and to water use efficiency (WUE ; g kg^?1) in cereals. Water use properties were investigated in terms of the phenological and yield parameters of five winter wheat genotypes in a greenhouse experiment carried out in climate‐controlled chambers. The plants were grown either with optimum water supplies or with simulated drought in two phenophases, combined with different CO ₂ concentrations (ambient and enriched to 700 and 1000 ppm). Multivariate analysis showed that the CO ₂ concentration alone significantly influenced water use and water use efficiency but in combination with the cultivars, it also had a significant influence on the grain yield and in a combination with the water supply on the straw biomass, respectively. Higher CO ₂ concentration significantly reduced the water uptake and improved the WUE values in both the drought treatments. All three factors investigated were found to have a significant influence on the water consumption during the growing season, and the interaction between CO ₂ and the cultivar influenced WUE . The least change in WUE was detected for Bánkúti 1201 (1.35–1.86 g kg^?1), while Mv Mambó, Plainsman V and Mv Toborzó formed a group responding similarly to various environmental effects (1.85–2.55 g kg^?1; 1.57–2.34 g kg^?1 and 1.45–2.24 g kg^?1, respectively).